The Pre-Portrait Conversation

Hiring the wrong portrait photographer is a bummer.  It’s certainly not as disastrous as hiring the wrong wedding photographer, but when your expectations are not met, it can still be upsetting.

I approach portrait photography a bit differently than many photographers, and I know it’s not a perfect fit for everyone.  For this reason, it’s important to me that I’m well-matched with those who inquire about my services.  To be sure we’re on the same page, I’ve created a list of questions to discuss before scheduling a portrait shoot.  There are no right or wrong answers – these questions are simply designed to get the discussion started.

1. Who will be a part of the session?
2. Where do you envision the shoot taking place?
3. What are you planning to wear?  Formal or casual?
4. What do you expect from me during the shoot?
5. What is the goal of the shoot – is there a particular reason you are scheduling it now?
6. What type of end product do you want from your session (prints, digital files, etc)?
7. Have you visited my website?

This last question is huge.  So many people contact me about portrait work from a word-of-mouth referral without looking at anything that I’ve produced.  It’s critical that you see what type of work I create before we go any further with scheduling a session.  It we aren’t on the same page, you’ll know right away.  If we are, you’ll have a greater trust in what I’ll create for you. 

The point of this conversation is to discover if we’ll work well together.  I’d always prefer to turn away a client that isn’t a good fit rather than leave them feeling like their experience did not meet their expectations.  Please don’t be upset if we aren’t a good fit – there are many photographers out there with varying styles, and I’d be happy to direct you to one that more accurately fits your needs.